Abdulla Jameel appointed as High Court judge; Shaheed withdraws candidacy

Former Civil Court Judge Abdulla Jameel Moosa has been officially appointed as a High Court judge. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) President, Hussain Riza Adam, presented Jameel with his letter of appointment during a special ceremony held at the Supreme Court tonight.

Jameel has over 15 years of judicial experience. He served as a magistrate from 2003 to 2009 and as a judge at the Civil Court from 2009 to 2019, where he handled several high-profile cases.

The JSC had also decided to appoint former Deputy Minister Mohamed Shaheed to the High Court. However, Shaheed later withdrew his application, becoming the first candidate to do so since the JSC’s decision to make appointments.

In a letter to the JSC's president, Shaheed said he stepped back to avoid public doubt over the judiciary’s independence, as he was perceived as still being active in politics, having been so earlier through the Progressive Party of Maldives and People's National Congress.

"This decision is for the sake of the country and to protect the judiciary’s independence," Shaheed stated. "Although I resigned from politics, I did not want my background to bring political influence into the courts."